Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

Power to Thrive: Solar Pumps for Progress in Nepal builds on Empowered by Light's (EBL) previous work supporting smallholder farmers in Nepal with solar-powered water pumps. The pumps enable farmers to displace diesel, double their number of crop rotations, increase the variety of crops they grow and subsequently earn more money. EBL subsidized 70 percent of the costs of the pumps for the initial eight farmers (with a one-year payback period) and plans to subsidize 60 percent in the next round with a 2-year payback period. As part of this initiative, women entrepreneurs, called Suryamukhis--historically not part of the official workforce, receive training on marketing and selling the pumps as well as overseeing payment collection. The project also uses a technical solution developed and sourced by a long-time and trusted (solar installation) partner with whom EBL has previously worked.

How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

['Replaces/avoids GHGs (e.g., projects that replace sources of GHGs, such as the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, transport, or other energy uses)', 'Reduces GHGs (e.g., projects that reduce sources of GHGs, such as through efficiency or other changes in consumption)']

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Power to Thrive empowers two groups of people underrepresented in the climate movement. First, the initiative empowers very rural and remote smallholder farmers who may not be aware of the impact of using diesel vs. solar to power their operations, but who are experiencing many of the impacts of climate change including more extreme temperatures, droughts and changes in rainfall. Second, the initiative empowers women who have historically been excluded from the formal workforce in Nepal. Power to Thrive provides training to help women develop business skills to identify customers, sell solar-powered products, collect installment payments and ensure after-sales service. Through this process, the women are given the opportunity to earn a commission, increase their customer base, increase their income and learn how to administer a business.

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